1. FORESTS:
Colo.'s Manitou Experimental Forest looks at climate change's effects on pristine environment

This equipment is being used by the researchers to measure the emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds from pine needles. Photo by Eryn Gable.

MANITOU EXPERIMENTAL FOREST, Colo. -- Inside the Manitou Experimental Forest, researchers are hard at work trying to discover how climate change is affecting this pristine environment, the process of regeneration after a fire, the population dynamics of flammulated owls, and ways to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and insect attack in these forests.

A major component of the research aims for improved understanding of biogenic secondary aerosol formation, given its critical role in hydrating the arid West.

A recent study suggests that the Earth's changing climate has led to reduced water availability in the West during the last half century and will continue to do so in the future. Given the region's growing population, scientists believe that understanding the role of aerosols in the hydrological cycle of the West will be increasingly important. Go to story #1